The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-01-13
FACTS PLAINLY STATED.
WHAT HAVE THE JUDGES" TO
SAY TO THIS! WILL REV. MIR
BROWN EXPLAIN!

While the Rev. John Brown is interest
ing himself in behalf of the suffering
peOi lie of the twenty. one counties men
toned in the STATESMAN Of this date, ne
should be fair enough to give the public
all the facts, and assist in tracing the
responsibility where it belongs.
We will concede that the drouth was
providential visitation, and that there is
suffering in the counties named, but that
he should be travelling throughout the
north seeking charity, and visiting the
state capital to get legislative aid, may
be creditable to him as a philanthroplst,
but most discreditable to the local author
tiles who are charged with the RESPONSE
bility of taking care of the INDECENT.
The law EXPIRE sly charges commission
ers courts with the duty of providing for
the support of all INDECENT persons. Re-
vised statutes, art. 1914. 8. 1t must be
done out of the tax levied by the commits
sioners' court and if the constitution does
not permit tax, in any one year great
enough to meet a particular emergency,
the court may issue their scrip payable
out of future taxes. The issuance OF
more scrip than can be paid Off by the
taxes of any one year has been me GUS
tom at one time or another in this state,
for the last fifteen years in more than
three fourths of the counties, ano no one
has ever questioned the validity of debts
so contracted or refused to pay them.
Money and supplies were given to nearly
all these counties last fall sufficient to
meet temporary emergencies, and II the
commissioners courts had done their
duty, the counties named would not have
been heard from again.
Upon examining the tax rate of the
county of which Mr.. Brown is the district
representative, it will be found that out
of over 200 counties in the state there are
only seven which have tax rate smaller.
1t further appears that If the tax rate
of that county for county purposes were
increased to fifty cents on the 500 valua-
tion-a rate which is now paid by 1O4
counties in the state-the amount to be
derived would pay the interest and sink
ing fund of per cent. on a debt of $34,
600, bearing interest at per cent.-in
other words, that Shackelford county can
afford to go in debt $4,000 without bur
dening herself with taxation any greater
than is borne by 104 other counties in the
state. Now, what would be thought of an
individual who had a credit margin on his
neighbors of $4,000, that would start out
on begging tour This is exactly the
attitude in which Mr.. Browns county
stands towards the public.
Now let us take Bosque. Her taxable
values for 1886 are $4,433,250. By in
creasing her county tax up to so cents on
| An kA Il g.
the interest and sinking fund on $4,000
In the face of the law, which imposes
upon commissioners courts the plain duty
of meeting these emergencies, in the face
of the fact that these suffering counties
have the means without even placing an
annual burden upon themselves with which
to relieve their wants, we stand in mute
establishment.
Perhaps the reason may be that given
by one of the messengers from drouth-
stricken county to the writer last Septem-
Der, in answer to the question suggested
by the facts existing in the cases of the
| two counties above mentioned.
His answer was, "There is too much OPP
position to raising taxes in my county,
"What," said l, "too much opposition to
rdlSlhS your ldCo VI udAduloh up W "Hit
mine is, in the face of all this suffering?'
His reply was: eyes; it would defeat the
whole court for reelection if they were to
do a thing of this sort"
If these counties persist in appealing
.:? q: :s;'s';'; ,Ha' my 'H thing
which the lePr,SS Unconstitutional
warrant for s aces werTst!tS ~p-siSlature should
immediately remit it back to the com
missioners' courts of these several coun-
ties, where, under the constitution and
every rule of right, it properly belongs.
TEXAN.
Safe nermonent and cOm plete ara the